Award-winning
2019 Telstra Business Award
MBBS, FACD
Born and raised in Darwin, Dr Dev Tilakaratne relocated to Townsville to complete James Cook University’s (JCU) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree, in which rural, remote, Indigenous and tropical perspectives flavoured all aspects of the course.
After gaining experience as a doctor at Royal Darwin Hospital and contributing to research at Menzies School of Health Research, NT , Dr Tilakaratne moved to Adelaide for specialist training in Dermatology, during which time he gained experience at Royal Adelaide Hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, The Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and Flinders Medical Centre. Dr. Tilakaratne was awarded Fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD) in 2016.
From an academic perspective, Dr. Tilakaratne has presented at State and National meetings of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and Australasian Dermatopathology Society (ADS). He has published articles in numerous journals, including the Australasian Journal of Dermatology – a journal for which he now volunteers as a reviewer. He also serves as Associate Lecturer with Flinders University, teaching medical students of the NT Medical Program. Most recently, Dr. Tilakaratne has partnered with Menzies School of Health Research as an Honorary Clinical Fellow for research in the field of scabies.
Recognising that there was a huge need for Dermatologists in the NT, he established Darwin Dermatology, where he currently diagnoses and manages skin cancers and general Dermatology. Dr. Tilakaratne also provides his expertise to Royal Darwin Hospital where he holds the position of Staff Specialist Dermatologist. He co-founded Dermo Direct as a means to further extend dermatologic care to all Australians who struggle to access a Dermatologist.
Warren LJ, Tilakaratne D, Seth R. Neonatal tinea corporis. Med J Aust. 2017 Oct 16;207(8):324. doi: 10.5694/mja17.00599. PMID: 29020896.
Ma JHY, Chatfield MD, Campbell K, Tilakaratne D. A follow-up of sunscreen use and sun-protection practices in Darwin: a cross-sectional survey. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2019 Dec;43(6):589-590. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.12924. Epub 2019 Jul 24. PMID: 31339610.
Felmingham C, Tilakaratne D. Overdiagnosis of scabies and overprescribing of scabies treatment in a scabies-endemic region. Aust J Rural Health. 2020 Aug;28(4):394-398. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12636. Epub 2020 Jun 23. PMID: 32578330.
Thomas L, Felmingham C, Tilakaratne D. Dermatological services; patient profiling in a rural tertiary hospital. Australas J Dermatol. 2021 May;62(2):195-198. doi: 10.1111/ajd.13548. Epub 2021 Mar 17. PMID: 33729555.
Tilakaratne D, Sidhu S. Heavy metal (monoclonal) bands: a link between cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and contact allergy to potassium dichromate, nickel and cobalt? Australas J Dermatol. 2015 Feb;56(1):59-63. doi: 10.1111/ajd.12182. Epub 2014 Oct 10. PMID: 25303728.
Thomas L, Howarth T, Tilakaratne D. Comparison of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus in Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Patients at a Regional Centre in Australia. Australas J Dermatol. 2020 Aug;61(3):291-292. doi: 10.1111/ajd.13281. Epub 2020 Apr 7. PMID: 32255506.
Tilakaratne D, Ryan E, Pearce A. Concurrent pyoderma gangrenosum and infection with Scedosporium apiospermum. Australas J Dermatol. 2016 May;57(2):e46-8. doi: 10.1111/ajd.12302. Epub 2015 Apr 28. PMID: 25920922.
Chng L, Holt DC, Field M, Francis JR, Tilakaratne D, Dekkers MH, Robinson G, Mounsey K, Pavlos R, Bowen AC, Fischer K, Papenfuss AT, Gasser RB, Korhonen PK, Currie BJ, McCarthy JS, Pasay C. Molecular diagnosis of scabies using a novel probe-based polymerase chain reaction assay targeting high-copy number repetitive sequences in the Sarcoptes scabiei genome. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021 Feb 24;15(2):e0009149. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009149. PMID: 33626043; PMCID: PMC7939366.
Tilakaratne D, Warren L, Menz J. A casemix study of patients seen by a dermatology trainee in rural and urban outpatient settings. Australas J Dermatol. 2016 Feb;57(1):33-8. doi: 10.1111/ajd.12273. Epub 2014 Dec 30. PMID: 25639145.